Going for BOLD

There are many spins on the familiar adage, “Do what you love …,” but my favorite was plainly spoken by rapper LL Cool J, for whom I have a particular fondness due to our shared initials (find me on Twitter: @LLCoolBabe). “Do what you love,” he said. “You’ll be better at it.” Seems simple enough, but like most sound advice, it’s easier said than done. So, in the name of finding that sweet spot between passion and purpose, for this issue, we’ve rounded up some examples to live by — a cast of daring souls who are quite in sync with their truest passions.

We follow the owners of San Francisco’s chic global-decor boutique St. Frank through the bustling, colorful marketplaces of Central America on a mission to preserve the cultural traditions that produce the textiles Bay Area bohemians jones for (Native Intelligence, Page 37). My girl crush Sam Hamilton figured out a way to merge her exquisite taste with her natural warmth and grace to create one of the best lifestyle shops in the city, March. We’ve got her easygoing advice on how to be a hostess with the mostess (The Big Setup, Page 32). Have you heard that Saison chef Joshua Skenes is hosting intimate dinners at his Sonoma ranch? We scored an exclusive invite (Wild at Hearth, Page 58). Beyond all of the fun surprises (spoiler alert: No butterflies or jack rabbits were harmed in the making of this story), the coolest thing photographer John Lee and I witnessed that night was Skenes, an avid hunter, in his element (the great outdoors) doing what he does best (cook).

As a longtime print magazine journalist working in what can be a slapdash digital world, doing what I do best (writing) is not always easy. Luckily, no guru-level enlightenment is needed to figure out that syncing passion with purpose requires crazy amounts of heart and fortitude. As you read this issue, hopefully you’ll see that rare harmony in the stories we’ve chosen to tell. I know I did. I even recognized it in myself.

Enjoy the issue,

Leilani Marie Labong Editor in Chief